FCC Says Millions of Walmart Customers are Victims of a Major Scam

(KMDL-FM) During the holiday season, it is not uncommon to have a trip planned or even an unplanned trip to Walmart. Walmart operates 137 different retail units in the state, and unfortunately, if you have been into any of those 137 stores, you could be an unwitting and unknowing victim of a scam.

Just to be clear, the scam that the FCC is warning millions of Walmart customers about has less to do with going into the store and more about answering your telephone. The FCC, Federal Communications Commission, has taken the aggressive step of banning an entire phone network over alleged robocalls and spam calls that were made to current and former Walmart customers.

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Actually, to be a victim of the scam, one doesn't have to be a Walmart customer, but when you hear how it works, you can instantly tell why most of the victims are also Walmart shoppers.

How Does The Scam Work?

The scam begins with a voice, usually artificially produced, claiming to be an employee of Walmart. They often use the names Emma or Carl. The scammer informs the recipient of the call that a "preauthorized" purchase of a PlayStation 5 Special Edition gaming system has been ordered from Walmart on their account.

The scammer's voice tells the intended target that the price is $919.45. The voice then tells the intended target, "Press 1 if you'd like to cancel this order". That's when they get you.

By pressing 1, the intended target is redirected to a "live operator" who naturally needs some information to "clear the account". That information often includes social security numbers, banking information, and other pertinent details that make your identity ripe for the picking.

Millions of Walmart Customers Affected by Robocall PlayStation Phone Scam

The FCC estimates that more than 8 million robocalls perpetuating this scam were made via SK-Telco, a U.S.-based wireless service provider.  The commission has ordered SK-Telco to cease and desist processing the robocalls. If the company does not the FCC will ban its network from all U.S. communication networks.

That penalty is so severe that it's only been used by the FCC a handful of times since it was approved. The FCC is in effect holding the network responsible for the actions of one of its customers. Perhaps the FCC should issue more edicts such as this; maybe that would put an end to the robocalls. They certainly can't call you if they can't get on a network, can they?

According to reports, the company has two weeks to comply with the FCC request or face being banned from all U.S. networks.